Fermi's Paradox (2017)

for unspecified ensemble

Inspired by an episode of the weekly public radio show This American Life, “Fermi’s Paradox” explores the discord between the likelihood and lack of evidence of extraterrestrial life.

All performers isolate themselves within the performance venue via spatialization and sensory deprivation, performing a reconceived excerpt of “Alone Together” by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz. The piece is most effective when performed by as many as individuals as possible.

“Fermi’s Paradox” was written for the New Mexico Contemporary Ensemble’s Postcard Exchange, as part of the first annual James Tenney Memorial Symposium.